


Tokens from the Past

by jkkitty



Series: Illya and Jo focus [5]
Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-10
Updated: 2013-10-10
Packaged: 2017-12-29 01:11:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/999092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jkkitty/pseuds/jkkitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A necklace, a medallion and a moment of panic melts Illya's cold façade for just an instant. Napoleon receives a memorable gift from his partner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tokens from the Past

 

Napoleon Solo and Illya Nichovetch Kuryakin hurried into the gym not sure why they were paged urgently. "What's so important, Jim?" Napoleon asked the supervisor.

"Someone has to stop her; she's tearing the locker room apart. It was either you or Section 3, and I didn't really want to get her into trouble. Just stop her!"

The two men stepped into the locker room, just as a bunch of towels came flying toward their heads followed by a string of Russian profanity.

The two men leaned against the wall watching Josephina Nichovia Kuryakin, "You do know that we have a department that redecorates when they feel it is necessary."

"Do not start with me, Napoleon! I have to find it; I know I had it when I came in to clean up."

"What is it that so important that it calls for you tearing this place apart?" Napoleon asked as he grabbed her arms pulling her toward him trying to calm her down.

"My necklace. I took it off placing in my locker to take a shower, now it is not there."

"Slow down Jo, you haven't slept in 72 hours, probably haven't eaten in that long either with the assignment you were on. We'll search for it but you need to go to an agent apartment, get some food in you, then lay down before Section 3 is called."

Illya motioned to Napoleon, "Take her upstairs, I will look for it," then in Russian he said, "YA naĭdu yego dlya vas , sestritsa , ne volnuĭtesʹ ( _I will find it for you, little sister, do not worry)."_

Napoleon escorted Jo from the locker room to an agent quarters while Illya looked for the necklace. He found it hanging from the back of the shelf where she had placed it. He joined them in the room, placing it around her neck; after she had eaten the food Napoleon had ordered, she fell asleep with the cross in her hand.

As they left her sleeping and headed toward their office, Napoleon glanced at his partner, "Do you know what that was all about?" always a dangerous question to ask the Russian, as his past life was normally not open for discussion.

Illya led him to their office, waiting for him to sit down then handed him a cup of coffee. "It is the last thing she has from our father," he said when he finally spoke touching his own medallion.

He thought back to the day they had received the items. Jo and he had spent the day looking for food for the family from the abandoned farms fields within the area, bringing back some old potatoes, beets, turnips, carrots, and for a surprise-some berries he had found while they were playing tag and he had chased Josephina into some bushes.

The food they had found would be enough for a few days if they were careful. Babushka was thrilled with the berries that they had found promising a small surprise for them later that evening.

After supper the younger twins were put to bed, while the two older children gathered around the small fire that burned in the kitchen. The dinner had been a feast to them with the bowl of cooked berries an amazing treat.

Babushka called the two children to her side; mama who was very ill sat nearby both knowing that any day could be her children's last. Somehow the brother and sister knew that they were going to be told something that no child should be burdened with.

"Illyusha, Josephina word came from the front today," mama began tears flowing from her redden eyes, "Papa was killed protecting his men." Neither child said anything. The last time they had seen their papa was at the ball when he was made a general.

Illya was the man of the family now and his sister would do everything to help him take care of the other children, plus their mama and babushka.

The two made their way to sleep on the soft pile of blankets in the corner but sleep didn't come. Holding one another, they finally let the tears flow knowing that the small amount of innocence that they still enjoyed was now gone. A soft hand lay on each child as they pretended to sleep.

"YA znayu, vy ne spite , vozlyublennye moi angely ( _I know you are awake, my beloved angels_?)" Babushka said.

Both children crawled into her outstretched arms. "My ispugalisʹ, chto budet s nashyeĭ semʹyeĭ? ( _We are frightened, what will become of our family_ )?" Illyusha admitted for himself and Josephina. He was holding onto his sister hands giving her as much support as a seven year-old could give the five year-old.

"My vyzhivem. Vash papa vsegda budet s vami ( _We will survive. Your papa will always be with you}_.

Babushka laid a chain with an old golden medallion around Illya's neck, "It was your father's child and his father's before him. It is now yours."

Then she placed around Josephina's neck a gold and silver cross with small gems of Lapis Lazuli in each corner, "Your papa gave this to me when he earned his first paycheck; I now give it to you in memory of your father."

Gathering the two children in her arms, she said, ""Hold onto the memory of your father; use these small tokens to help you focus."

The following months were difficult for them, ending when the rest of their family lying dead from the evil that had taken over their country.

Illya shook his head bringing himself back to the present, "It is our past and maybe our future; it is our memories of the good and bad times in our childhood, that's why she was so upset. We leave them in our desks when on assignment to avoid Thrush taking them, but it is who we are and were."

Napoleon knew he would get no more from his partner; the icy façade that Illya kept around his personal life had disappeared for just a moment. But in that moment Illya had shared with him, he had received a gift of true friendship, a glance into the private lives of his partner and the woman he loved. And that moment that was enough for him.


End file.
